In recent years, transportation methods have changed substantially. This change is due in part to a concern over the limited availability of natural resources, a proliferation in personal technology, and a societal shift to adopt more environmentally friendly transportation solutions. These considerations have encouraged the development of a number of new flexible-fuel vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles, and electric vehicles (EVs).
Vehicles employing at least one electric motor and power system store electrical energy in a number of battery cells. These battery cells are typically connected to an electrical control system to provide a desired available voltage, ampere-hour, and/or other electrical characteristics. Advances in battery technology have resulted in the increasing use of large batteries, comprising tens, hundreds, or even thousands of individual cells, for applications such as powering various electrical components of vehicles (including vehicles designed for travel over land and water and through the air) and storing electricity generated using renewable energy sources (e.g. solar panels, wind turbines).
Many of the batteries described generates heat. Further, some battery designs incorporate numerous cells into a module. The battery modules often need to be cooled to operate more efficiently or safely. To cool the battery cells, battery modules can include various systems using a phase change material (PCM) or other liquid and/or gas to cool the battery modules. Unfortunately, the systems used to cool the module often focus on cooling only the batteries or another singular system, which makes these cooling systems less efficient and less effective.